U.S. schools lag behind in use of technology

The US Department of Education has published a "National Education Technology Plan" which points out that though virtually every school in the country is on the internet, that 9 out of 10 students aged 5 though 17 use the internet, and that 4 out of 5 classrooms have computers, teachers are lagging being in technology literacy.

"Yet educators still lack of training and understanding about how computers can be used to help students, said Education Secretary Rod Paige. 'Education is the only business still debating the usefulness of technology,' Paige said in the National Education Technology Plan, scheduled for release Friday. 'Schools remain unchanged for the most part despite numerous reforms and increased investments in computers.' " Links:

Ben Feller,U.S. schools lag behind in use of technology, Associated Press, in USA Today, January 7, 2005.

National Education Technology Plan: http://NationalEdTechPlan.org